Ship of Fools by Katherine Anne Porter

Katherine Anne Porter's life was an emotional hurricane: she survived childhood trauma, domestic violence, and the Spanish flu epidemic before she even became a writer (spoiler alert: the drama didn't end there). But she kicked every obstacle out of her way like a literary Amazon and proceeded to secure her legacy as one of the most fascinating voices in American fiction. She's most famous for her short stories, but we recommend reading her novel Ship of Fools too, as it features the same devastating takedowns of class as The Great Gatsby. Also, fun fact: Porter was a total babe and an unapologetic cougar in her later years.